Depressive symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum in women and use of antidepressant treatment – a longitudinal cohort study

Figures & data

Figure 1 Flowchart of the distributed and received answers for Q-I–III.⁶

Notes: ^aThe midwives forgot to give Q-II to the study participants (n=239), and there were instances of missing consent (n=2). ^bSpontaneous and legal abortions (n=84), missed abortions (n=4), spontaneous and legal abortions due to malformations or for personal reasons >18 gestational weeks (n=10). ^cOffered no explanation or did not understand the questions about violence well enough or had difficulties with the language. Also, the participant was too stressed to stay to complete the questionnaire (n=3). ^dQ-III not delivered to the right CWC, women had changed CWC, wrongly registered civic registration number (rarely), difficult to track because the baby was born out of the catchment area or at home, and CWC-nurse did not give the study participant the Q-III because the partner accompanied the woman. ^eInclusion criteria not fulfilled. ^fThe nurses at CWC forgot to give Q-III to the study participants.
Abbreviations: CWC, Child Welfare Centers; Q-I, Questionnaire I; Q-II, Questionnaire II; Q-III, Questionnaire III.

Table 1 Comparison of sociodemographic background and lifestyle factors in early pregnancy in relation to EPDS score (N=1,939)

Characteristics	EPDS 0	EPDS 1–12	EPDS ≥13	Totala	P-value (χ^2)
	n (%)	n (%)	n (%)	n (%)
	130 (6.9)	1,572 (83.8)	175 (9.3)	1,747 (100)
Age in yearsb					0.006
18–25	16 (12.4)	265 (17.1)	43 (24.9)	308 (17.9)
26–34	87 (67.4)	986 (63.6)	112 (64.7)	1,098 (63.7)
≥35	26 (20.2)	300 (19.3)	18 (10.4)	318 (18.4)
Missing in analysis n=215
Language					0.008
Swedish	107 (82.9)	1,208 (77.0)	119 (68.4)	1,327 (76.2)
Foreign language	22 (17.1)	360 (23.0)	55 (31.6)	415 (23.8)
Missing in analysis n=197
Cohabiting status					<0.001
Single/living apart	2 (1.6)	67 (4.4)	26 (14.9)	93 (5.5)
Common law spouse/married	118 (93.7)	1,454 (95.6)	148 (85.1)	1,602 (94.5)
Missing in analysis n=244
Educational status					<0.001
Low educational status	42 (32.3)	491 (31.2)	81 (46.3)	572 (32.7)
High educational status	88 (67.7)	1,081 (68.8)	94 (53.7)	1,175 (67.3)
Missing in analysis n=192
Employment status					<0.001
Employed	124 (95.4)	1,500 (95.5)	148 (84.6)	1,648 (94.4)
Unemployed	6 (4.6)	71 (4.5)	27 (15.4)	98 (5.6)
Missing in analysis n=193
Financial distress					<0.001
No	81 (62.3)	838 (53.4)	62 (35.4)	900 (51.6)
Yes	49 (37.7)	732 (46.6)	113 (64.6)	845 (48.4)
Missing in analysis n=194
Smoking/wet tobacco					0.003
No	110 (87.3)	1,239 (90.8)	126 (72.4)	1,365 (80.4)
Yes	16 (12.7)	284 (18.6)	48 (27.6)	332 (19.6)
Missing in analysis n=242
Use of alcohol					0.339
No	65 (52.4)	698 (46.1.1)	85 (48.9)	783 (46.4)
Yesc	59 (47.6)	816 (53.9)	89 (51.1)	905 (53.6)
Missing in analysis n=251

Notes: Statistical significance accepted at P<0.05, Pearson’s Chi-square two-tailed analysis was used for statistical differences between EPDS scores.

a Missing in the analysis for EPDS, n=62.

b Age in early pregnancy, at the time of recruitment.

c At least once in a month.

Abbreviation: EPDS, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.

Table 2 Prevalence of depressive symptoms in a cohort of pregnant women with EPDS score <13 or ≥13 until 1–1.5 years postpartum (N=1,939)

Characteristics	Early pregnancy Q-I n (%)	Late pregnancy Q-II n (%)	1–1.5 years postpartum Q-III n (%)
Total in analysis	1,877 (100)a	1,425 (100)b	665 (100)c
EPDS score <13	1,702 (90.7)	1,310 (91.8)	599 (90.0)
EPDS score ≥13	175 (9.3)	115 (8.2)	66 (10.0)

Notes:

a Q-I, 62 missing participants.

b Q-II, 102 missing participants.

c Q-III, 66 missing participants.

Abbreviations: EPDS, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; Q-I, Questionnaire I; Q-II, Questionnaire II; Q-III, Questionnaire III.

Table 3 Women exposed or nonexposed to domestic violence, EPDS scores, and antidepressant medication during early pregnancy until 1–1.5 years postpartum (N=1,939)a

Characteristics	Total n (%)	Q-I		P-value (χ^2)	Total n (%)	Q-II		P-value (χ^2)	Total n (%)	Q-III		P-value (χ^2)
		EPDS <13 n (%)	EPDS ≥13 n (%)			EPDS <13 n (%)	EPDS ≥13 n (%)			EPDS <13 n (%)	EPDS ≥13 n (%)
EPDS score	1,751 (100)	1,591 (100)	160 (100)	df 2	1,310 (100)	1,209 (100)	101 (100)	df 2	587 (100)	531 (100)	56 (100)	df 2
DV
No
No medication	1,616 (93.2)	1,501 (94.8)	115 (76.7)	<0.001	1,211 (93.4)	1,136 (94.4)	75 (79.8)	<0.001	525 (93.1)	486 (94.4)	39 (79.6)	<0.001
Not taking oral medication regularly as prescribed	51 (9.9)	33 (2.1)	18 (12.0)		36 (2.8)	26 (2.2)	10 (10.6)		12 (2.1)	7 (1.4)	5 (10.2)
Regularly taking oral medication as prescribed	66 (3.8)	49 (3.1)	17 (11.3)		50 (3.9)	41 (3.4)	9 (9.6)		27 (4.8)	22 (4.3)	5 (10.2)
Yes
No medication	16 (88.9)	8 (100)	8 (80.0)	0.294	12 (92.3)	6 (100)	6 (85.7)	0.538	20 (87.0)	13 (81.3)	7 (100)	0.316
Not taking oral medication regularly as prescribed	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)		0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)		1 (4.3)	1 (6.3)	0 (0.0)
Regularly taking oral medication as prescribed	2 (11.1)	0 (0.0)	2 (20.0)		1 (7.7)	0 (0.0)	1 (14.3)		2 (8.7)	2 (12.5)	0 (0.0)

Notes: Statistical significance accepted at P<0.05, Pearson Chi-square two-tailed analysis was used for differences between EPDS score and antidepressant medication as well as DV.

a Missing information for 307 women in Q-I, 217 in Q-II, and 144 in Q-III.

Abbreviations: DV, domestic violence; EPDS, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; Q-I, Questionnaire I; Q-II, Questionnaire II; Q-III, Questionnaire III.

FinnbogadóttirHDykesAKIncreasing prevalence and incidence of domestic violence during the pregnancy and one and a half year postpartum, as well as risk factors: a longitudinal cohort study in southern SwedenBMC Pregnancy Childbirth201616132727784283

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